West Hartford Slayings Detailed In Hearing

January 11, 1997|By DANIELA ALTIMARI; Courant Staff Writer

After arresting Roger Jones on a burglary charge, West Hartford police detectives drove him to the driveway of a darkened house on Mohawk Drive where an elderly couple had been beaten and killed during a botched break-in a week earlier.

Jones, 19, sat in the back of the police cruiser and solemnly told the three detectives that he recently had been inside the stately home of Dr. John Haugh and his wife, Patricia Haugh.

Then, Det. Michael Chaffin casually leaned over and asked, ``Roger, what are we going to do with you?''

Jones replied: ``Lethal injection.''

Chaffin was one of several people who testified during a Superior Court hearing Friday to determine whether the state has enough evidence to prosecute Jones and Vaughn Walker in the deaths of the two prominent residents. The two Hartford men each face two counts of murder and one count of capital felony murder in the killing during an early morning burglary at their home on Nov. 1. If convicted, Jones and Walker could receive the death penalty.

After listening to nearly three hours of testimony in Hartford Superior Court, Judge Carmen Espinosa ruled that prosecutors provided sufficient evidence. Her ruling drew a hushed cheer from Shirley Reynolds, Patricia Haugh's sister, who drove from Long Island with her daughter to watch the proceedings.

Attorneys for Walker and Jones said the two defendants did not go to 50 Mohawk Drive to kill the couple. ``There's no evidence that Mr. Jones had any intent to commit a homicide,'' said Larry Hopkins, who is representing Jones.

Prosecutors and police say Jones of 179 Palm St., Hartford, and Walker, 20, of 267 Capen St., Hartford, walked to the Haughs' neighborhood to ``do a burglary'' and randomly selected the large white Colonial at 50 Mohawk Drive.

The men had broken into houses in the neighborhood before, but this was the first time they brought a roll of duct tape and a small, wooden baseball bat, according to statements taken by police.

``They even went to the extreme of cutting the phone lines before entering the house,'' said Assistant State's Attorney Joan Alexander.

Once inside, Jones and Walker noticed John Haugh sleeping on a couch in the den. Jones went behind the couch and grabbed Haugh around the neck while demanding to know how many people were in the house. The two struggled, and Jones punched Haugh in the stomach, then Walker intervened, according to a statement he gave police.

``My knee was near his throat and I leaned on him,'' Walker told detectives. ``I looked down and got scared because his hands were real white and nails blue.''

Walker taped Haugh's hands and feet, then went upstairs where Patricia Haugh was sleeping on a bed, face down. Walker told police he went to the side of the bed and held her shoulders down.

Jones, who had entered the bedroom through a second door, demanded to know if anyone else was in the house. Patricia Haugh told them there was money in her husband's pants pocket. Jones then turned on a lamp, and Walker saw blood under the woman's face. Eventually, she stopped moving. The state medical examiner's office later ruled that she had been smothered and beaten.

The two men then drove off in the Haughs' blue Volvo. Police said they took stereo equipment and several credit cards that they used to order electronics at Service Merchandise. The purchases were to be delivered to Jones' house.

Walker, who was arrested first, was uncomfortable naming his accomplice, Chaffin said. During detectives' questioning of Walker, which included a break for pizza, he expressed remorse. At one point he sighed deeply and hung his head, Chaffin said.

``Right now I'm scared and I am worried,'' Walker told police. ``I don't know how this got out of control, but I'm sorry about what happened. I wish I could take it all back.''

Jones, too, voiced regret. ``It was a burglary that went bad,'' he said, according to a written statement taken by police. ``My condolences to the Haugh family.''